Ivanovic Buzzer Beater Shocks Serbia

Up, up and away - Milos Teodosic can only watch as Nikola Ivanovic releases the dying second-shot from half-court that would gift Montenegro the win in Belgrade

Nikola Ivanovic hit a stunning half-court buzzer-beater as Montenegro came through at the finish to beat neighbours Serbia 73-71 in their Group A EuroBasket qualifier.

With his team trailing by one in the dying seconds, Ivanovic launched the ball more in hope than expectation but the Montenegro players exploded in celebration when it went through the hoop.

It capped a stunning finish from Montenegro, who had trailed 67-54 when Milos Teodosic nailed a three-pointer for Serbia with 4:55 to go.

Bojan Dubljevic's jump-shot started a 12-2 Montenegro run that made it 69-66 to Serbia on Ivanovic's jump-shot with 78 seconds left.

Teodosic split a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game, but Suad Sehovic hit a jump-shot and then, after Teodosic came up empty with a three, he hit two free throws to tie it 11 seconds from time.

Teodosic went back to the line, but could again only make one of two with four ticks left, and Ivanovic then hit his dramatic winner.

In such a close game, Serbia will be left to rue some poor free throw shooting as they made only nine of 20 (45 percent) from the line.

They were also poor from three-point range, hitting only six of 27 (22.2 percent).

Sehovic led Montenegro with 17 points while Aleksa Popovic and Dubljevic had 11 each and Ivanovic 10.